Safety Starts Even Before You Take a New York Maritime Job

You asked about your salary and benefits. You asked about the kind of work you would be doing, how long you would be away from home, and the potential perks of working for a particular employer. You may have even talked to crewmembers to get a better idea of what it is like to work for that employer. However, have you asked questions about your safety?

Ask These Questions of a New York or New Jersey Maritime Employer

Before you get on the boat, you should be confident that your employer is taking reasonable steps to protect you and to prevent a New Jersey or New York maritime accident injury. To find out more about how a potential employer keeps crewmembers safe, you might ask questions such as:

What kind of training will I receive? Training is important to a safe voyage. Ask questions about initial training and continuing training if you are considering a maritime job.

What procedures are in place if an accident happens? Not every accident is preventable, especially given the uncertainty of the sea. However, specific procedures should be in place so that maritime accident injuries are quickly treated and further tragedy can be avoided.

Have there been any recent accidents at sea? Accidents happen and maritime work is dangerous. You may choose to work for an employer even if an accident has occurred. However, you want to know that the employer is honest about the accident and can talk about what was done to help injured crewmembers and what will be done to prevent similar accidents in the future.

You should also ask any specific questions that you have that would impact your safety given the boat, crew, voyage or job responsibilities that you are considering.

Contact a New York Jones Act Lawyer if You’ve Been Hurt

Your questioning may help you choose an employer who values safety and who actively lowers your risk of suffering an injury. However, your employer cannot eliminate the risk of injury. If you have been hurt at sea, then it is important to contact a New York maritime injury lawyer today at 1-800-3-MAY-DAY or 1-800-362-9329 for a free consultation. We also invite you to learn more about your rights after an accident in our FREE publication: The Legal Rights of Injured Seamen and Other Commercial Mariners.